Five injured passengers in hospital and pregnant woman had a panic attack on board after huge vessel ploughed through wall

By Gerard Couzens

22nd April 2017,6:30 pm

Updated: 23rd April 2017,3:28 pm

EMERGENCY teams are racing to contain a three-kilometre oil spill after five people were rushed to hospital when a huge car ferry ploughed through a port wall on the holiday island of Gran Canaria in Spain.

Dramatic footage shows the vessel smashing through the concrete barrier as terrified passengers row with staff on board.

Staff and passengers appear to be helping someone on board the ship that was heading to Tenerife

Up to 200,000 litres of fuel was initially feared to have spilled, although port authority sources said they believed the situation could be brought under control without major environmental consequences because of sea currents.

Coastguards vessels were sent to inspect the scene late last night.

A police investigation was underway last night in conjunction with a separate investigation by the ferry’s owner Naviera Armas.

Footage taken from inside the damaged vessel after the collision – and posted on social media – showed furious passengers arguing with crew who were trying to calm them down.

Part of the front of the huge ferry was almost totally destroyed in the devastating crash

An Italian man could be overheard yelling about the lack of information while a Spaniard insisted: “We want to get off” as he told a female crew member surrounded by angry passengers that there were children on board.

The passengers began to leave the ship around 10pm and many were put up in hotels overnight.

Passenger Gabriel Velazquez said afterwards: “People were very nervous when they felt a loud bang and then things got out of hand because no-one really knew what was happening.”

Another added: “There were people on the floor. One of the women working in the cafe ended up trapped when something fell on her and had to be helped out.”

In the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar 20 wedding guests were killed after a boat smashed into a cargo ship.

A British woman was found dead in a truck in France after she allegedly jumped off a ferry travelling from East Sussex to France.